Root’s mammoth knock, spanning 10 hours and 18 minutes, had helped the hosts pile up an imposing first-innings total of 589 for eight. “It was an incredible atmosphere throughout the whole day, even at the end there when we were taking wickets”.
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Amir, one of three left-arm quicks in Pakistan’s attack with Rahat and Wahab Riaz, had Hales dropped in the gully on six by Asad Shafiq, the ball speeding away to third man for four. Pakistan still trails by 532 runs with opener Shan Masood on 30 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq on 1.
England went to tea on day two of the second Investec Test on 533 for six, with Root unbeaten on a career-best 226 having received good support from Chris Woakes (58), Ben Stokes (34) and Jonny Bairstow (32 not out). Then tune in for live coverage of day two from 10.30am on Saturday on the same channel.
Pakistan were then frustrated by Cook and Root, who took charge on a sunny day in Lancashire, rotating the strike well and looking in great touch right from the start of their innings’.
Root’s 10-hour 254 was just two runs short of England’s ground-record highest individual score, at this venue with a 132-year Test history.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah was unable to continue his terrific bowling form from the previous Test at Lord’s as he was able to pick only one wicket in the 54 overs he bowled while conceding 213 runs.
1 Number of England batsmen to make their tenth Test hundred at a younger age than Joe Root.
The departure of Woakes 13 minutes before lunch, with England 414 for five, brought Stokes to the crease and the all-rounder played himself in before getting stuck into Pakistan’s bowling after the interval.
Root showed no signs of slowing down as the final session unfolded, continuing to deny the Pakistan bowlers and waiting for their bad balls.
But Root was rewarded for his skill and patience when his 14th four, an on-drive off Yasir Shah, took him to his hundred from 167 balls.
Poor fielding has been a feature of Pakistan’s play this series and Bairstow was reprieved on 9 when he edged Yasir only for Sarfraz Ahmed to fumble the catch, after several juggled attempts behind the stumps.
Root, whose top score in the three-match series with Sri Lanka earlier this summer was 80, made 48 and nine in the first-Test loss to Pakistan at Lord’s and was relieved to make a telling contribution this time round. I’ve worked hard this week to take them out of my game.
He hit 22 fours in 355 balls to reach the 200-run mark.
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Root eventually fell slog-sweeping a Wahab leg-cutter to Hafeez in the deep. After a crushing defeat in the first Test against the visitors at Lord’s, England made a spirited fightback scoring 190 runs in one and half sessions of the Manchester Test.
